I took this photo on Phuket (island) in Thailand. The Starbucks brand, along with historical stalwarts, McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, is one of the leading American food brands around the globe. Starbucks is highly popular in Asia. On my travel blog, I wrote about Starbucks in Thailand. Even Russia, which had long resisted permitting Starbucks to open franchises, has now seen a few open. Overall, American "big business" is all over the place, and truly reflects Western influence and power as much as anything. As an expatriate in Thailand, life was easier (or more comforting) to me because of the familiar brands I had grown up with: Haagan Daz, Baskin Robbins, Swensen's, Sizzler, McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Dunkin Donuts, Pizza Hut, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Even TGIF, Dairy Queen, Outback Steakhouse and Krispy Kreme have a presence. And 7-11 has over 6000 convenience stores in Thailand! 
Undoubtedly, Hollywood has a preeminent role in shaping world opinion. Through film, American life is put on the big screen wherever you go. From Uzbekistan, where movies are dubbed into Russian, to Asia, where movies are often sub-titled in the local language, Hollywood is a powerful force. There's nothing like being in a foreign land and being able to see great movies. They are wonderful escapes. From my experience traveling, Hollywood films can been seen on television, can be rented in video stores, can be sold on street corners through a thriving pirating enterprise, and can be seen the old-fashioned way, at theaters. Bangkok's movie theaters are state-of-the-art with stadium seating and the works. To see a film in Thailand costs a mere $4 per ticket.
Of America's Big Three Sports, NBA basketball is by far most far-reaching around the globe. I will never forget sitting in a hotel in Alma Aty, Kazakhstan way back in the early '90s, seeing an episode of Inside The NBA. Robert Horry of the Rockets provided the highlight of the day. A year earlier, in Canada on a summer missions trip, The Dream Team made its debut in the Summer Olympics. Michael Jordan's long-lasting appeal, coupled with Commissioner David Stern's drive to penetrate (pun intended) the biggest market in the world (China) has actually catapulted the NBA to new heights. Of course, just looking at the various teams, it's apparent that perhaps 20% of all players come from overseas, especially from Europe. In Thailand, during my almost four years there, I saw an occasional MLB game and some NFL games. However, on cable TV and ESPN International, many more NBA games were shown.
Typically movie stars, musicians and athletes have the most appeal worldwide, especially in the media and IT age we're in now. Easily, for two decades or more, Michael Jackson was the world's most recognized and adored icon. He was a megastar, in fact - perhaps the last of them. Numerous Uzbeks expressed to me that Michael Jackson was so huge in their country, and this is only a short period after the Cold War was over. MJ's stardom had transcended barriers. In sports, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali garner admiration around the world. In fact, Ali may be the most recognized American of the 20th Century. Another sliver of the popularity pie is reserved for business titans. Bill Gates, through his wealth, through Microsoft products and through The Gates Foundation, is arguably the most preeminent America name in this category. Finally, we have what I call, Movers & Shakers. These are political giants, religious leaders and revolutionary figures. In my opinion, the leading Mover & Shaker that America exports around the world is former US president Bill Clinton. He is widely admired and respected by many. Part of it is due to his understanding of world concerns and problems, and part of it is just due to his unique capacity to find solutions to problems. Awareness is certainly raised when he's involved. When you consider the impact of the Clinton Global Initiative, President Clinton could go down as they most influential former US president to date. For pictures of me meeting Clinton in Asheville, click here.
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